Electroluminescent display and method of making same

Abstract

An electroluminescent display is fabricated from an electroluminescent panel having an electroluminescent material coated on a substrate and a transparent conductor covering the electroluminescent material. Conductors, disposed on opposite sides of the electroluminescent material, and leads to the conductors which supply electricity to the conductors to excite the electroluminescent material are coated as unitary members on the electroluminescent panel and an adjacent non-conducting carrier strip attached to an edge of the electroluminescent panel.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method for making an electroluminescent display comprising the steps of: providing an electroluminescent panel having an electroluminescent material on a first surface of a non-conducting substrate and a transparent conductor covering said electroluminescent material;   attaching a non-conducting carrier strip to an edge of said electroluminescent panel;   applying a first unitary metallic conductor to said transparent conductor and to a surface of said carrier strip adjacent said transparent conductor, said first unitary metallic conductor having: (a) a bus bar on said transparent conductor, and   (b) a first lead segment on said carrier strip extending across the junction of said carrier strip and said electroluminescent panel to said bus bar;     applying a second unitary metallic conductor to a second surface of said substrate opposite from said first surface and to a surface of said carrier strip adjacent said second surface of said substrate, said second unitary metallic conductor having: (a) a plate on said second surface of said substrate defining an area of excitation of said electroluminescent material, and   (b) a second lead segment on said carrier strip extending across the junction of said carrier strip and said electroluminescent panel to said plate, said second lead segment offset from said first lead segment in the plane of said carrier strip;     enclosing said electroluminescent panel, said carrier strip and said unitary metallic conductors within a non-conducting envelope having a transparent surface extending over said transparent conductor and said bus bar;   and attaching first and second terminals to said first and second lead segments, respectively.   
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said non-conducting carrier strip is attached to said electroluminescent panel by a pressure sensitive adhesive applied between said non-conducting carrier strip and said electroluminescent panel. 
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said non-conducting carrier strip is attached to said electroluminescent panel by heat fusion. 
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 2 wherein said first and second unitary metallic conductors are applied by coating said conductors on the respective surfaces. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said first and second unitary metallic conductors are coated on the respective surfaces by: (a) masking the surfaces to be coated, and   (b) applying a metal coating to selected areas of said surfaces in accordance with said masking.   
     
     
       6. An electroluminescent display comprising: an electroluminescent panel having an electroluminescent material on a first surface of a non-conducting substrate and a transparent conductor covering said electroluminescent material;   a non-conducting carrier strip attached to an edge of said electroluminescent panel;   a first unitary metallic conductor on said transparent conductor and on a surface of said carrier strip adjacent said transparent conductor, said first unitary metallic conductor having: (a) a bus bar on said transparent conductor, and   (b) a first lead segment on said carrier strip extending across the junction of said carrier strip and said electroluminescent panel to said bus bar;     a second unitary metallic conductor on a second surface of said substrate opposite from said first surface and on a surface of said carrier strip adjacent said second surface of said substrate, said second unitary metallic conductor having: (a) a plate on said second surface of said substrate defining an area of excitation of said electroluminescent material, and   (b) a second lead segment on said carrier strip extending across the junction of said carrier strip and said electroluminescent panel to said plate, said second lead segment offset from said first lead segment in the plane of said carrier strip;     a non-conducting envelope enclosing said electroluminescent panel, said carrier strip and said unitary metallic conductors and having a transparent surface extending over said transparent conductor and said bus bar;   and first and second terminals attached to said first and second lead segments, respectively.   
     
     
       7. An electroluminescent display according to claim 6 wherein said non-conducting carrier strip includes upper and lower parts placed in contact with each other and spread apart at one end with said upper part in contact with said transparent conductor and said lower part in contact with said second surface of said substrate. 
     
     
       8. An electroluminescent display according to claim 7 wherein said first and second unitary metallic conductors are silver. 
     
     
       9. An electroluminescent display according to claim 6 wherein said electroluminescent panel is rectalinear said plate is rectalinear.